Field tower

Fingrid has developed a new type of transmission line tower for use on arable fields. The new tower has been designed to minimise the disadvantage inflicted on agriculture and to improve occupational safety. The product development project for the new field tower has been awarded the Fennia Prize 2012 Grand Prix in industrial design.

The tower type facilitates soil preparation and cultivation. The idea for a tower which saves arable land was obtained directly from landowners at agricultural exhibitions, where Fingrid has been represented in several summers.

Fingrid is an international trailblazer in combining industrial design and technical constructions. The company has previously developed so-called landscape towers, and the new field tower continues these open-minded development efforts. The field tower model is more expensive for Fingrid than the traditional tower type, but the reduced disadvantages for agriculture are a major improvement. Fingrid estimates that over the long term, collision damage will also be reduced.

Co-operation with design agency

The development of the tower model started in co-operation with design agency Muotohiomo Oy. The objective was to devise a new type of double-circuit tower for 400 kilovolt and 110 kilovolt transmission lines.

The height of the tower is in the same range as that of a conventional 400 kilovolt tower, where the upper crossarm is at a height of 31 to 35 metres. The most notable difference between the field tower and conventional tower types is that the field tower has no supporting guy wires. Agricultural machinery can be operated more freely near the new tower than in the vicinity of conventional guyed towers. Many agricultural machines can run under the tower, since the space under the tower is 7 metres in the longitudinal direction and 14 metres in the cross direction.

Protective structures surrounding the legs of the new tower prevent potential collisions with the legs. In this way, soil can be worked quite close to the tower. Since the new towers have no guys, weeding problems in the surroundings are also significantly reduced.

The foundations of the tower are composed of two prefabricated concrete sections joined together. Each part weighs 3 tonnes. The four-legged tower is anchored to the ground using foundations of 24 tonnes. Separate concreting work is not required, but the entire foundation is built as prefabricated constructions.